Out of the past 8/8/03

10 years ago: Aug. 8, 1993

Mississippi River crests at 48 feet at Cape Girardeau; at final hour, Tom LeGrand, family members and others lose battle to save LeGrand's Transmission and attached family home at 1237 N. Water; they lose, 10 1/2 hours after water begins seeping up beneath triple row of sandbags protecting house, and family gives up fight.

Congregation of Evangelical United Church of Christ celebrates its 99th anniversary this weekend; Saturday's activities included old-fashioned summer carnival, with lawn relays, games and prizes, face painting, cakewalks, food and sing-along; this morning's worship service kicks off year-long centennial celebration.

25 years ago: Aug. 8, 1978

While primary election results hold few surprises, contest for Democratic nomination for presiding judge of county court yields unexpected results; incumbent Judge Ervin Hobbs wins primary, but his little-known opponent, Bradley McIntyre, manages to garner 38 percent of vote without doing much campaigning; observers say closeness of vote is display of dissatisfaction with first-term judge, particularly in Cape Girardeau, where voters may have been displeased with Hobbs' vote on location of new county jail.

David R. Birk, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Birk of Gordonville, has been appointed market specialist for European markets for Missouri Department of Agriculture; Birk, 27, will work in Missouri Trade Office at Dusseldorf, Germany.

50 years ago: Aug. 8, 1953

Raging wind, blowing wildly out of northwest in fury of lightning flashes last night, tossed golfball-size hail stones with tee-shot velocity, uprooted trees, snatched limbs from others, downed power lines and left scarcely a home in Cape Girardeau without some damage; window panes by thousands were smashed; H-H building suffered 33 broken windows; across street at Presbyterian Church, prized stained-glass windows were badly damaged.

Scores of relatives and friends turn out to greet National Guardsmen returning from their summer training chores at Camp Ripley, Minn.; welcomes are in evidence everywhere as members of Headquarters and Service Companies of 140th Infantry arrive home by train.

75 years ago: Aug. 8, 1928

Deputy Sheriff Albert Illers of Jackson won Republican nomination for sheriff of Cape Girardeau County by margin of single vote over J.W. Miller, according to complete but unofficial returns from yesterday's primary; four other candidates were outdistanced by pair.

Benton, Mo. -- Tom Scott of Illmo is leading his fellow townsmen, George G. Bean, by narrow margin of about 70 votes for Democratic nomination for sheriff of Scott County in seven-sided race in which about 3,000 votes were cast in primary; other five candidates for sheriff are: Roy A. Green of Blodgett, W.N. Carroll of Vanduser, J.E. Morrow of Benton, J.E. Tines of Chaffee and L.S. Brock of Benton.

-- Sharon K. Sanders